Communazi Explained

"Communazi" is an American political neologism, "coined by a reporter"^[1] and made popular by Time (first September 11, 1939^[2]) days after the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact (a neutrality pact between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union signed in Moscow on 23 August 1939 by foreign ministers Joachim von Ribbentrop and Vyacheslav Molotov^[3]). It implied that both Communism and Nazism were one and the same because they were essentially totalitarian, whether left or right in belief. It continues to receive mention, largely in its historical context, to the present.^{[4] [5]}

History

Time repeatedly referred to the Pact as the "Communazi Pact" and its participants as "communazis" through 1941.^{[6] [7] [8] [9]} Among Time writers and editors who used the term was Whittaker Chambers in his 1941 essay "The Revolt of the Intellectuals."^{[10] [11] [12]}

Whether coined or popularized by Time, the term then started appearing in print in other publications, at first in labor-oriented (but non-Soviet-aligned) publications, then in wider-circulating publications, by right-wing writers (e.g., Joseph P. Kamp of the Constitutional Educational League), in other English-speaking countries like Canada and the United Kingdom, and eventually in German:

• Newspapers:
  • "Allen Tells Dies Hitler Was 'Sound'" (25 August 1939)^[13]
  • "Two States, Two Gatherings and a Lot of Anti-Government Sentiment; At Michigan Rally, Unyielding Anger At the Brady Bill" (15 May 1995)^[14]
  • "Fighting the Nazis With Celluloid" (12 October 2014)^[15]
• Magazines:
  • The Garment Worker (1939)^[16]
  • American Labor World (1939)^[17]
  • Frontiers of Democracy (1939)^[18]
  • Journeymen Plumbers and Steam Fitters Journal (1939)^[19]
  • Dynamic America (1940)^[20]
  • Saturday Review (1940)^[21]
  • Political Correspondence of the Workers' League for a Revolutionary Party (1940)^[22]
  • Mexicana Review (1940)^[23]
  • Twice a Year by Dorothy Norman (1941)^[24]
  • Labour Monthly (1942)^[25]
• Books:
  • Yankee Reporter by S. Burton Heath (1940)^[26]
  • The Fifth Column Vs. the Dies Committee by Joseph P. Kamp (1941)^[27]
  • Common Cause by Giuseppe Antonio Borgese (1940)^[28]
  • Events and Shadows by Robert Gilbert Vansittart Baron Vansittart (1947)^[29]
  • Must We Perish? by Hershel D. Meyer (1949)^[30]
  • Report of the Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Federation of Labor (1970)^[31]
  • Labor Radical by Len De Caux (1970)^[32]
  • A Study in Liberty by Horace Mayer Kallen (1973)^[33]
  • United Nations: Perfidy and Perversion by Hillel Seidman (1982)^[34]
  • Lion Feuchtwanger by Volker Skierka (1984)^[35]
  • Dear editor: letters to Time magazine, 1923–1984 (1985)^[36]
  • Das mexikanische Exil by Fritz Pohle (1986)^[37]
  • America and the Holocaust: Barring the gates to America by David S. Wyman (1990)^[38]
  • Literatur für Leser (1992)^[39]
  • Argonautenschiff: Jahrbuch der Anna-Seghers-Gesellschaft (1992)^[40]
  • Which Side Were You On? by Maurice Isserman (1993)
  • Hollywood Party by Lloyd Billingsley (1998)^[41]
  • A Covert Life: Jay Lovestone by Ted Morgan (writer) (1999)^[42]
  • Communazis by Alexander Stephan (2000)
  • British and American Anticommunism Before the Cold War by (2001)^[43]
  • The FBI Encyclopedia by Michael Newton (2003)^[44]
  • Adolf Kozlik by Gottfried Fritzi (2004)^[45]
  • Überwacht, Ausgebürgert, Exiliert by Alexander Stephan (2007)^[46]
  • Adorno in America by David Jenemann (2007)^{[47] [48]}
  • Engineering Communism by Steve Usdin (2008)^[49]
  • Shame and Glory of the Intellectuals by Peter Viereck (2007)^[50]
  • Antisemitism and the American Far Left by Stephen Harlan Norwood (2013)^[51]
  • Open a New Window by Ethan Mordden (2015)^[52]

In 1940, the term "communazi" started to appear in the government records of the US,^{[53] [54] [55] [56] [57] [58]} the House of Commons of Canada,^{[59] [60]} and the UK House of Lords.^{[61] [62]}

"Communazi" is also the subject of a book, "Communazis": FBI Surveillance of German Émigré Writers, published in 2000 by Alexander Stephan.

See also

• Comparison of Nazism and Stalinism
• Horseshoe theory
• National Bolshevism
• Beefsteak Nazi

Notes and References

1. Book: Isserman , Maurice . Maurice Isserman

   . Maurice Isserman. Which Side Were You On?: The American Communist Party During the Second World War. University of Illinois Press. 44, 76, 79, 115. 1993. 9780252063367. 31 December 2018.

2. News: Russia: Arms & Art. September 11, 1939. Time. 27 July 2021.
3. Book: Zabecki, David . Germany at War: 400 Years of Military History . ABC-CLIO, LLC . Santa Barbara, California . 2014 . 536 . 978-1-59884-981-3.
4. Book: Kantorowicz , Alfred . Politik und Literatur im Exil: deutschsprachige Schriftsteller. 1983. 31 December 2018.
5. Book: Stephan , Alexander . Alexander Stephan

   . Alexander Stephan. "Communazis": FBI Surveillance of German Emigré Writers. Yale University Press. 2000. 0300082029. 31 December 2018.

6. News: Time. Children of Moscow. September 18, 1939 . 27 July 2021.
7. News: Time. Moscow's Week. October 9, 1939. 27 July 2021. 21 May 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130521073747/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,762664-2,00.html. dead. .
8. News: Time. Cinema: Revival: Oct. 9, 1939. October 9, 1939. 27 July 2021.
9. News: Time. Mexico: Communazi Columnists. June 3, 1940. 27 July 2021.
10. News: Time. Books: The Revolt of the Intellectuals. January 6, 1941. 27 July 2021.
11. Web site: Whittaker. Chambers. Whittaker Chambers. The Revolt of the Intellectuals. WhittakerChambers.org. 6 January 1941. 31 December 2018.
12. Book: Chambers, Whittaker. Whittaker Chambers

    . Whittaker Chambers. Ghosts on the roof: Selected Essays. Transaction Publishers. 1996. 9781412824590. 31 December 2018.

13. News: Allen Tells Dies Hitler Was 'Sound': Roosevelt Should Be Impeached With 'a Lot of Others,' AntiSemite Says at Inquiry: 'Communazi' Stumps Hime. New York Times. 25 August 1939. 31 December 2018.
14. News: James. Bennet. Two States, Two Gatherings and a Lot of Anti-Government Sentiment; At Michigan Rally, Unyielding Anger At the Brady Bill. New York Times. 15 May 1995. 31 December 2018.
15. News: J.. Hoberman. Fighting the Nazis With Celluloid. New York Times. 14 October 2014. 31 December 2018.
16. (unknown). The Garment Worker. 1939. 31 December 2018.
17. Fight on "Communazis" is Urge by American Legion. American Labor World. 50. 1939. 31 December 2018.
18. (unknown). Frontiers of Democracy. 80. 1939. 31 December 2018.
19. (unknown). Journeymen Plumbers and Steam Fitters Journal. 47. 1939. 31 December 2018.
20. (unknown). Dynamic America. 9–10. 1939. 31 December 2018.
21. (unknown). Saturday Review. 2. 1940. 31 December 2018.
22. (unknown). Political Correspondence of the Workers' League for a Revolutionary Party, Volumes 3-4. 22. 1940. 31 December 2018.
23. Communazi Columnists. Mexicana Review. 35. 1940. 31 December 2018.
24. Twice a Year, Issues 5-6. Twice A Year. 1941. 31 December 2018.
25. (unknown). Labour Monthly. 217. 1942. 31 December 2018.
26. Book: Yankee Reporter. W. Funk. 75–76. 1940. 31 December 2018.
27. Book: Kamp , Joseph P. . Joseph P. Kamp

    . Joseph P. Kamp. The Fifth Column Vs. the Dies Committee. Constitutional Educational League, Inc.. 30. 1941. 31 December 2018.

28. Book: Common Cause. Duell, Sloan and Pearce. 1943. 31 December 2018.
29. Book: Events and Shadows: A Policy for the Remnants of a Century. Hutchinson. 1947. 31 December 2018.
30. Book: Must we perish?: The logic of 20th century barbarism. New Century Publishers. 65. 1949. 31 December 2018.
31. Book: Report of the Proceedings of the Annual Convention of the American Federation of Labor, Volume 70. American Federation of labor. 264. 1970. 31 December 2018.
32. Book: Labor radical: from the Wobblies to CIO, a personal history. Beacon Press. 346, 361, 363. 1970. 9780807054444. 31 December 2018.
33. Book: A Study in Liberty. Greenwood press. xiii, 102. 1 June 1973. 9780837165547. 31 December 2018.
34. Book: United Nations: Perfidy and Perversion. Beacon M.P. Press, Inc.. 2, 66, 75. 1982. 9780918220110. 31 December 2018.
35. Book: Lion Feuchtwanger. Quadriga. 1984. 9783886791040. 31 December 2018.
36. Book: Dear editor: letters to Time magazine, 1923–1984. Salem House. 40, 47. 1985. 9780881621044. 31 December 2018.
37. Book: Das mexikanische Exil: ein Beitrag zur Geschichte der politisch-kulturellen Emigration aus Deutschland (1937–1946). J.B. Metzler. 1986. 9783476005939. 31 December 2018.
38. Book: America and the Holocaust: Barring the gates to America. Garland Publishers. 1990. 9780824045364. 31 December 2018.
39. Book: Literatur für Leser. R. Oldenbourg Verlag. 150–151, 157. 1992. 31 December 2018.
40. Book: Argonautenschiff: Jahrbuch der Anna-Seghers-Gesellschaft Berlin und Mainz e.V., Volumes 1-3. Aufbau-Verlag. 34, 243. 1992. 9783476005939. 31 December 2018.
41. Book: Hollywood Party: How Communism Seduced the American Film Industry in the 1930s and 1940s. Forum. 68–69, 81. 1998. 9780761513766. 31 December 2018.
42. Book: A Covert Life: Jay Lovestone: Communist, Anti-communist, and Spymaster. Random House. 133. 1999. 9780679444008. 31 December 2018.
43. Book: British and American Anticommunism Before the Cold War. Psychology Press. 220, 224. 2001. 9780714651606. 31 December 2018.
44. Book: The FBI Encyclopedia. McFarland. 2003. 978-0-7864-1718-6. 31 December 2018.
45. Book: Adolf Kozlik: Ein Sozialistischer Ökonom, Emigrant und Rebell: Leben und Werk Eines österreichischen Wissenschaftlers und Intellektuellen. P. Lang. 126. 1 January 2004. 978-3-631-52648-4. 31 December 2018.
46. Book: Stephan , Alexander . Alexander Stephan

    . Alexander Stephan. Überwacht, Ausgebürgert, Exiliert: Schriftsteller und der Staat. Yale University Press. 15, 24, 382. 2007. 978-3-89528-634-6. 31 December 2018.

47. Book: Adorno in America. University of Minnesota Press. 21. 2007. 31 December 2018.
48. Book: Transmission: Adorno in America. University of Minnesota Press. 21. 2003. 31 December 2018.
49. Book: Engineering Communism: How Two Americans Spied for Stalin and Founded the Soviet Silicon Valley. Yale University Press. 1 October 2008. 978-0300127959. 31 December 2018.
50. Book: Shame and Glory of the Intellectuals. Routledge. 2017. 9781351491013. 31 December 2018.
51. Book: Antisemitism and the American Far Left. Cambridge University Press. 50, 65–66. 19 August 2013. 9781107036017. 31 December 2018.
52. Book: Open a New Window: The Broadway Musical in the 1960s. St. Martin's Press. 154. 7 April 2015. 31 December 2018.
53. Book: Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of the Congress, Volume 86, Part 16. US GPO. 1940. 31 December 2018.
54. Book: Independent Offices Appropriations Bill for 1945: Hearings. US GPO. 1092–1093. 1944. 31 December 2018.
55. Book: Investigation of Un-American Propaganda Activities in the United States. US GPO. 261. 1944. 31 December 2018.
56. Book: Report of the United States Commissioner. US GPO. 1950. 31 December 2018.
57. Book: Civil Rights: Hearings. US GPO. 923. 1959. 31 December 2018.
58. Book: Hearings Relating to Various Bills to Repeal the Detention Act of 1950. US GPO. 3119. 1970. 31 December 2018.
59. Book: Debates: Official Report. Canada Parliament House of Commons. 3660. 1942. 31 December 2018.
60. Book: Official Report of Debates, House of Commons. Canada Parliament House of Commons. 1942. 31 December 2018.
61. Book: The Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).: House of Lords official report. House of Lords. 1947. 31 December 2018.
62. Book: The Parliamentary Debates (Hansard).: House of Lords official report. House of Lords. 1948. 31 December 2018.